Australian foreign minister visit to step up defence, trade ties

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop (Reuters Photo)

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop will arrive in Delhi on Tuesday on a two-day visit with an aim to step up bilateral engagement in a range of key areas including defence, security and trade. She is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hold talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar, according to the External Affairs ministry.

In a statement in Canberra, Bishop said ways to boost defence, security and trade ties will be explored during the visit. “We will discuss our shared interests in a stable Indo- Pacific, our deepening defence and security relationship, and how we can boost trade and economic ties,” she said.

“India is a significant economic partner and trading partner, and I will explore further opportunities for Australia in the education sector and in developing innovative partnerships in the business sector,” Bishop said. In a statement, Australian High Commissioner Harinder Sidhu said her country was committed to explore ways to further expand bilateral engagements with India.